Is Sam Bradford an All-Time NFL Draft Bust? — Sports Survey of the Day

Sam Bradford was tabbed as the next big thing in the NFL when he was drafted first overall before the 2010 season. However, he has been anything but that after over three seasons in the league, and is out for the remainder of this season with a torn ACL. Is Bradford one of the biggest busts in NFL draft history?

His rookie year was promising, as Bradford led the 2010 Rams to a respectable 7-9 record, which put them in a tie for first place in a weak NFC West. Although the team missed out on the playoffs, as the Seattle Seahawks owned the tiebreaker over them, Bradford's 3,500 yards and 60% completion rate were cause for optimism in St. Louis.

Bradford only played 10 games in 2011, having battled multiple injuries. When he was active, it was clear that he had regressed in his second year in the league. That year, he only completed 53.5% of his passes, and matched his six touchdown passes with six interceptions. As a result, the Rams went 2-14, and questions began to emerge about his viability as an NFL quarterback.

After a slight improvement, and a full season, in 2012, Bradford started to put it together this year. His 60.7% completion rate to this point in the season is better than his total in any other season, and his 14 touchdowns and four interceptions are far from the problem for the 3-4 Rams.

With that said, Bradford's fragility and ineffectiveness are on their own reasons to consider a number one overall pick a bust. Both of those traits together only amplify a player's potential to go down as one of the biggest busts in recent memory. While Sam Bradford may not be on the level of Ryan Leaf, he has certainly failed to live up to expectations in his career to this point.